Fishing rods with attached reels are commonplace items for fishing activities. Referring to FIG. 3, a rod assembly 40 includes a flexible rod 13, a handle 51 for a person to grasp, and an attachment feature at 76 and typically integrated into handle 51 for mounting a reel 73. Each handle 51 has a rod end to which the rod 13 is affixed, and a butt end opposite the rod end.
A rod assembly 40 to be usable must have a reel 73 attached by the attachment feature 76 to assembly 40. The reel includes a rotating spool for storing fishing line and a handle for rotating the spool when retrieving the fishing line. Usually, a reel 73 is mounted on a rod assembly for long periods, and is transported as a part of the rod assembly. A rod assembly 40 with a reel attached may weigh in the 2-4 lb. range.
Transporting and storing assemblies is sometimes a problem. The rods are long and flexible. The reels are somewhat fragile. The handles 51 are typically at the ends of the assemblies, so carrying them by the handles 51 is awkward.
If a person is carrying more than one rod assembly 40, the transport problem becomes even more intractable. Assemblies 40 can be only held safely by the handles because of the danger of inadvertently snagging one's self on a hook and the flexibility of the rods 13. It is difficult to carry more than one rod assembly 40 in one hand because the fishing line and hooks can become tangled with each other.
When fishing from a boat, one prefers to not lay rod assemblies 40 directly on the bottom of the boat, where they may be stepped on inadvertently, or become entangled with other gear. When fishing from the shore, one prefers to not set a rod assembly on the ground, which may allow sand, dirt, etc. to contaminate reel 73.
Storing rod assemblies 40 is also inconvenient. Leaning them in a corner subjects them to damage. Hanging them vertically likely places the hooks close to passing people and pets. When a person takes a group of rod assemblies 40 on a fishing expedition, the assemblies will have to be collected one at a time, which is time-consuming, and may result in one being inadvertently left behind. A better way is to semi-permanently collect a set of rod assemblies.
Protecting rod assemblies 40 from contamination and mechanical impact will prolong their lives. Providing protection against such events is, therefore useful.
For all these reasons, a device that can support, organize and store a number of rod assemblies 40, and that allows easy transport of a number of rod assemblies 40 will be helpful to those who engage in fishing.